Police searching for suspect of financial crimes, theft

Lawrence Police are looking for a woman suspected of several financial crimes and for possessing stolen property.

She has been identified as Lottie Maye Stanley, 49, most recently believed to be living in the Lawrence area. A “no bond” warrant has been issued for her arrest.

No other information is being released about her suspected crimes.

Stanley is described as having brown hair and green eyes. She is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds.

Anyone with information about Stanley is asked to call 843-TIPS (8477). Callers remain anonymous, and a reward of up to $1,000 is possible.

Jealous wife charged with aggravated arson

A woman allegedly tried to set her apartment on fire early Tuesday after she became angry because her husband was with his girlfriend, Lawrence Police said.

Tuesday afternoon Kathleen F. Pierce, 1121 E. 13th St., Apt. 1A, was charged with aggravated arson. She was being held in the Douglas County Jail on $7,500 bond.

The 27-year-old woman allegedly called her husband at his girlfriend’s home and said she was going to set a fire, police spokesman Sgt. Mark Warren said.

Pierce then allegedly hung up, piled some papers on a coffee table and set them afire, Sgt. Mark Warren said.

It wasn’t clear who called 911, but police and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical responded shortly after 5 a.m. to an apartment building in the 1100 block of East 13th Street. So did the woman’s husband, a police report said.

The fire had burned itself out, Warren said.

Pierce is scheduled to next appear in court at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

One DUI arrest made during saturation patrols

Douglas County Sheriff’s officers Friday night and early Saturday arrested one motorist for driving under the influence of alcohol during DUI saturation patrols.

Officers made 23 car stops and conducted five field sobriety tests, Lt. Kathy Tate said. Two citations were issued for not having proof of liability insurance, and two more citations were issued for having an unworkable headlight.

Three motorists assists also were conducted, Tate said.

Officers patrolled along Kansas Highway 10, U.S. Highway 40 and North 1600 and North 1800 roads.

Apartment resident killed in Monday fire identified

The identity of a woman killed in an apartment building fire early Monday has been confirmed by the Douglas County Coroner.

She was Janet Dixon Murphy, 59, who lived in the Coach Light Apartments, 1002 W. 24th St. An autopsy was performed Monday by Frontier Forensics, Topeka, which handles coroner duties for the county.

The cause of Murphy’s death was fire injuries and inhalation of super-heated gases, according to the autopsy report.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire officials said the blaze was started by careless smoking in the bedroom of Murphy’s apartment. The fire caused $250,000 damage.